The Reynolds Hotel

Rated one of the "Top 10 sleeps" on the Sea-to-Sky Corridor by
99 North Magazine

History

The Reynolds Hotel was built in 1941 by Jack Reynolds Sr., who still has a number of relatives living in the Lillooet area. Jack’s original building had 16 rooms for rent, 3 on the main floor, 9 on the second floor and 4 rooms in the attic. No rooms had washrooms of their own, but shared facilities in the halls. There was also a cluster of cabins out back.

At some point during this time Jack sold his hotel to Ernie Stevenson, Jack McCauley and Steve Pitcho. Ernie, Jack and Steve operated the hotel as it was for the next several years during which time the remaining cabins meandered down to the Conway park area to live out the rest of their days.

The hotel was sold in May of 1971 to Walter and Joyce Harder. Their first contribution to the hotel came in the spring of the following year when they added a full kitchen to the rear of the restaurant. Walter and Joyce with two children lived in a suite/office in the hotel for the first 7 years, working the pub during the night and accomplishing maintenance, accounting and everything else during the day. Wally and Joyce applied for and were successful in obtaining a Beer and Wine store in 1985, the construction of which was completed in the summer of 1986.

Ownership of the hotel transferred again in 1995 to Walter and Joyce’s son David and his wife Michelle. Through the years much thought has been put into the future of the Reynolds and a clear picture has emerged. Centered on the importance of Lillooet’s unique history the hotel will reflect a time long past. We hope that someone walking through our front door will be transported back to a time when Lillooet was being hewn out of British Columbia’s rugged interior.

In 2003 the Lobby and Beer and Wine store were renovated in a spectacular fashion with a circular staircase, locally cut and milled wood floors, wall paneling and trim and recently found coal burning stove (which was once in the local school house…..in 1884!) In 2004 the Cookhouse restaurant was renovated in the same style as the lobby. The food, prepared by operators Wayne and Heather Cook is honestly the best in town!

A number of the rooms have been completed in the turn of the century theme; one is a rustic re-creation where the guest can easily picture themselves in a log cabin during Lillooet’s Gold Rush; another is lavish accommodation that would have been provided to a travelling female entertainer of high acclaim, complete with feather bed and corner bath; and another is an elegant Oriental-styled room in honour of early Chinese immigrants to the area. Our work on these rooms continues and it should be mentioned that all renovated rooms have their own bathrooms attached.

The next project is the pub renovation which will place patrons in a gold rush saloon with mahogany bar and warm patina copper insert panels. We also hope to add an outdoor patio so the amazing Lillooet weather can be enjoyed to the fullest.